Women’s Fencing Opens Season With Three Medals

(From left to right) Sun, Kiefer, Vaggo and Vloka all had strong days at the Garret Open held at Penn State. (Harvard Athletic Communications)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Harvard women’s fencing team tallied two gold medals and one bronze at the Garret Open hosted by Penn State on Saturday, the Crimson’s first competition of the 2011-12 season.

Freshman and defending National Champion, Alexandra Kiefer picked up where she left off last season taking gold in the foil event, in a field of 50. Caroline Vloka followed suit taking first in the Sabre division, beating out 41 other entrants for top honors. This marks the second-consecutive year that both Kiefer and Vloka took gold in their events during the Garret Open.

Freshman Emma Vaggo got on the board with her first collegiate medal, earning bronze in the epee competition in a field of 46.

In total six Harvard fencers placed in the top 20 in their respective fields. Junior Katherin Chou took 17th in the foil competition while freshman Kara Lee and junior Felicia Sun placed 12th and eighth in the sabre and epee division, respectively.

Harvard will return to State College, Pa. on Dec. 3 to compete in the Penn State Invitational.